A World Gone Blind
by The Loneliest Fangirl
Summary: Cleopatra Delphinus Porpentina Scamander wasn't aware of much when she was only eleven, but she did know one thing for certain. She was going to be sorted into Hufflepuff and that was that. Or so she thought. Cleo is in for the shock of her life when she is sorted into the Lion House. She just hopes that the hat knows what it's doing, because Cleo and her friends sure don't!


**A/n: Greetings all! Welcome to my story! I hope you enjoy it! Disclaimer: I don't own HP! I am using this for fun, not for profit. **

**Now that we've got that over with, here's some actual fun information. This story will cover all the books and possibly Cursed Child if I'm feeling really ambitious. There will also be some of my own work in between the canon bits, so hopefully this won't just be a rewrite of the series. **

**Cleo is a Scamander and I mention the Scamander family tree a bit. Now I know that after the ending of **_**The Crimes of Grindelwald**_**, the whole Queenie/Jacob thing is confused now, but until we get more concrete information, I'm going to pretend like Queenie and Jacob love together happily ever after.**

**In case you're confused by the family tree, here it is:**

**The Scamander Family **

**Newt Scamander Tina Goldstein **

**Lydia & ? Edmund & Emma**

**Cleo Scamander James Scamander **

**Hector Scamander Rolf Scamander**

**We find out who the question mark is eventually. There's actually two different question marks since Cleo and Hector have two different fathers. Some of you may be able to find out who one of the father's is just by reading this chapter. **

**Also, as for pairings, there's officially no pairings at the moment. I'm considering a few, namely: Cleo/Neville, Cleo/George, Cleo/Draco, or possibly Cleo/Harry. If you have an opinion, please feel free to tell me. I may put up a poll in my profile if this story becomes popular enough. **

**Well, that's it for now! Please enjoy!**

* * *

**A World Gone Blind**

"_**I've been walking through/ A world gone blind/ Can't stop thinking of your diamond mind."**_

**Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish **

* * *

Cleopatra Delphinus Porpentina Scamander wasn't aware of much when she was only eleven, but she did know one thing for certain. She was going to be sorted into Hufflepuff and that was that.

No one in her family really doubted that either. Cleo seemed to make it her life goal to be kind to everyone. She hardly ever fought with her younger brother and she always smiled at strangers on the street. Cleo spoke politely with everyone, even if they made it difficult. The words people invariably used to describe her were sweet, charming, kind, and cheerful.

The only one who had any doubt about where Cleo would be sorted was her mother, Lydia Scamander. But that was because Lydia knew a secret. One that Cleo didn't know. One that not even her father and mother knew. There were only four other people who knew. Two were dead, one was in prison, and the other was hard at work. She knew who Cleo's father was. Lydia knew Cleo's father and she saw so much of him in her only daughter. She tried very hard to be kind, but there was a bold streak in Cleo that she could not erase. It made Lydia sad to see it, because it brought back so many painful memories, but she could not go back and change the past. It was too late for that. All she could do was hope that Cleo turned out to be as bright and as sunny as she strived to be.

At that moment, the Scamander family was walking into King's Cross Station to start Cleo's first year at Hogwarts. Just about the whole family had turned up. Cleo's grandparents, Newt and Tina, her great aunt and uncle, Queenie and Jacob. Her aunt and uncle, Edmund and Emma, their sons James and Rolf, as well as her mother, Lydia, and her little brother, Hector.

Hector was sniffling a little as the large family walked through the train station. He and his sister were very close, with only a year between them. Neither of them were aware that they were only half siblings and even if they did, they would still be close. They were best friends because they only had each other, really. Rolf was the same age as Hector, but they hardly ever saw their cousin. Only on Christmas and Easter holidays as well as the first day of school. James was fourteen and much too old for his younger cousin's games. So Hector knew he was going to be quite lonely without his sister around.

"Don't cry, Hec," she told him softly, throwing her arm around him and pulling him close. "It'll only be for a few months. And I'll come home during Christmas and all the other holidays."

Hector nodded glumly. "I know," he replied, sniffing and rubbing his nose. "I'll just miss you."

Lydia smiled as she watched her two children walk and talk. She had always been grateful that they were close friends rather than siblings who fought all the time. Of course, there had been occasional bickering, but most of the time it was over in a few minutes. "We'll all miss Cleo," she said to her son. "But we should be excited for her. She finally gets to go to Hogwarts. Are you excited, Cleo?"

Cleo grinned and nodded emphatically, bouncing her auburn hair. "Definitely," she answered promptly. Well, she had her father's brains, that was for sure, Lydia thought. "But I can't wait for third year. Then I can take Care of Magical Creatures."

Newt Scamander smiled at his only granddaughter. She had inherited not only his light auburn hair, but his love for animals as well. Often, Tina pointed out how Cleo was a miniature version of Newt. They looked quite a bit alike and shared a lot of similar interests and personality traits, though Cleo was more social than her grandfather. Newt took great pride in his granddaughter and taught her just about everything she knew about magizoology and Quidditch. She made a pretty decent Chaser, actually. Both Lydia (who had been a Keeper in her school years) and Newt thought she would make the team by her third year. As for her love of animals, she loved just about all of them as long as they were smaller than her. The ones that were bigger she preferred to observe from a far distance. Not that Newt could blame her. She was a really tiny thing. If a creature even slightly bigger than her got just a little too excited, then she would be dead.

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Newt said quietly, ruffling her hair a little. They had arrived at Platform 9 and ¾ and were now getting ready to bid her goodbye. He crouched down so that he could be fact to face with her. Her face, which had been strong before, now started to show the sadness she sly at leaving her family. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes flooded with tears. Newt pulled her into a hug. "It'll be alright, darling," he said, rubbing her back. "Hey, I've it something that will cheer you up."

Cleo pulled away and sniffed. "What?" she asked curiously.

Newt smiled mischievously and pulled out a book bag from behind his back. "Consider this a late birthday present," he said, handing it to her. "It's rather like my case. Bigger on the inside. And look at this…" He turned the book bag around to show her a latch on the front. He flicked at the little latch and it switched from 'Muggle Worthy' to 'Teacher Worthy' to 'Cleo Worthy'. "You can fit all your school things in there when it's teacher worthy. When it's Muggle worthy it will show a couple pairs of clothes and such. When it's Cleo worthy, you can see all the space I left in there so that you can start your own collection of creatures, when you're ready." Cleo was speechless. She was staring at the bag with wide eyes, as though she couldn't believe it was real. Newt smiled softly at her reaction. "To help you get started, I decided to give you Poppy."

Cleo gasped and looked up at him. "Really?" she asked softly in disbelief. Poppy was one of her grandfather's bowtruckles, named after one of the first ones he ever had. Cleo loved bowtruckles, and they were one of her favorite creatures along with nifflers.

Newt nodded. "Really. He's in a tree down there, just waiting for you. Promise me you'll take care of him?"

"Of course," Cleo replied, nodding emphatically. Then, she threw her arms around her grandpa. "Thank you, grandpa."

"You're welcome," he said, hugging her back.

Cleo's grandmother, Tina, smiled at the both of them. "Alright, grandpa, let grandma have a turn to say goodbye." Cleo grinned sheepishly before hugging her grandma. "I love you, Cleo. Be sure to write to us every week."

"I will, grandma. I love you too." Cleo then gave her great aunt Queenie and great uncle Jacob a hug. They wished her luck and told her they would bake her lots of strudel when she came back for Christmas break. Her aunt Emma and her uncle Edmund told her to do well in school and to ask James for help if she needed anything. Rolf and Hector told her that they would write to her all the time and send her lots of Chocolate Frogs. Then, it was time to load her things onto the train and take off. James helped her bring her trunk into a compartment along with her barn owl, Ziggy, named after a song by a famous Muggle musician, David Bowie. Cleo had learned a lot about Muggles in her youth, mostly because of her great uncle Jacob. He taught her most of what she knew and she found out the rest by herself. Besides, her mum worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, so she naturally took an interest in Muggles.

Cleo waved at the family as the train took off from the station. She waved until she could no longer see her family. Then, she fell back in her seat and stared at the wall across from her. There was no one else in her compartment. James had gone off to join his friends. So Cleo reaches into her trunk and pulled out one of the her favorite books _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander. By the time she was ten, she had already read it five times. It was her absolute favorite book, and she would argue that it was the greatest book of all time (though she would admit that she was just a little biased). She was reading the chapter on bowtruckles when someone walked into her compartment. Cleo looked up and saw a lumpy boy with a sad face and dark hair.

"Have you seen my toad?" he asked her. "I've lost him."

Cleo shook her head. "No, I haven't. I'm sorry." The boy sniffed sadly and nodded, about to leave when Cleo put her book down and stood up. "Would you like help finding him?" she offered.

The boy look relieved. "Would you?" he said gratefully. "That would be brilliant." Cleo smiled and followed the boy out of the compartment. "I'm Neville, by the way. Neville Longbottom."

"I'm Cleo Scamander," she said, offering her hand to the boy. He took it and shook it a couple times. The two walked side by side, stopping at each compartment to see if anyone had seen Neville's toad.

"Have you seen a toad?" they asked the next full compartment. "Neville here has lost his."

The pale blonde boy closest to the door snickered at them. "A toad?" he asked them, sneering a little. "Let it stay lost. Who would want a toad in the first place?" He and his friends guffawed as though he had told a funny joke. Cleo saw Neville look at the ground in shame, tears filling his eyes.

Cleo clenched her fist, but forced herself to stay calm. "There's no need to antagonize him," she said gently. "Have you seen the toad?"

"No, we have not seen the toad," the boy replied, mimicking her voice. Cleo didn't say anything. She hadn't met anyone like this boy before and she wasn't sure how to handle him. She was a little upset (well, more than a little) but she wasn't sure how to respond.

"Don't make fun of her!" Neville came to her defense. The three boys did not seem intimidated and they only snickered some more.

"It's alright, Neville," Cleo said quietly. "Let's just go." She threw the boy one last look of disgust before they exited the compartment amid their sniggering and laughing. They walked in awkward silence for a bit before Cleo broke it. "Well, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed," she said lightly, drawing a weak laugh out of Neville. "Don't mind him, Neville. He's just rude. Let's go find your toad. He has to be somewhere."

The two continued to walk through the train, stopping at each compartment and asking after Neville's toad. No one seemed to know where he was. It was as if Trevor had disappeared completely.

As they walked, they caught sight of other first years running up and down the corridors, laughing and chasing one another. Cleo and Neville had to avoid them, hugging the walls of the train closely.

"Honestly!" Cleo looked up to see who was speaking. It was a girl, probably a first year, with brown bushy hair and a disapproving look in her eyes. She made eye contact with the two of them and shook her head. "Some people are so childish," she said with a shake of her head.

Cleo gave her a smile. "They do seem to be rather excited," she replied politely. "By the way, have you seen a toad anywhere? Neville has lost his."

The girl immediately shook her head, her brown curls shaking. "No, I'm afraid I haven't. Perhaps I can help you search for it, though," she offered.

Neville looked a little happy at the prospect of someone else joining in to help, but also a little overwhelmed. Cleo didn't blame him. This girl seemed to be a little pushy. "That would be brilliant, thanks," Cleo said, accepting her offer. "I'm Cleo Scamander. This is Neville Longbottom." She gestured to the lumpy boy beside her who offered a strained smile.

"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione replies right away. "And did you say Scamander?" Cleo nodded, and waited for the questions that were sure to follow. She had prepared herself for it before heading off to school. Her mother had prepared her for it because she had gone through the same thing when she was young. Cleo liked to think she was pretty patient, so she hoped that she could handle all the questions. "Would you happen to be related to Newt Scamander, the author of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_?"

"He's my grandpa," Cleo said with another nod.

Hermione gave her a knowing look. "I've read all about him, of course," she said matter-of-factly. "He's a brilliant magizoologist. Not to mention all his help in the war against Grindelwald."

Cleo smiled a little. "If you would like, you can meet my grandfather at Christmas if you're going home. He's always happy to talk to a fan."

Hermione looked excited at the prospect. "Could I really? Oh, that would be amazing! I mean, I love his book. I've read it three times already." Then, she shook her head. "Sorry. We should get back to the task at hand. Come on. This way." Hermione took the lead, heading towards a compartment that they had already visited. Cleo tried to tell her so, but Hermione either didn't hear her or ignored her. "Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one."

Cleo looked in the compartment to see the two boys they had just spoken with. One was tall and lanky with carrot red hair and freckles. The other was shorter with dark black hair and a pair of wire rimmed glasses. "We've already told them we haven't seen it," the red headed one replied. He was holding a wand in one hand and holding onto a rat in his lap in the other.

Hermione ignored his response. "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

The red haired boy looked at her awkwardly. He nodded then cleared his throat. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,/ Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." Cleo waiter to see what happened, but nothing did. Not even a little twitch from the rat. She had suspected that it was a fake spell, but she was no expert.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Hermione asked doubtfully. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've only tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. No one in my family is magic at all, and it was quite the surprise when I got my letter. But my parents were ever so pleased. I mean, it's the best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard. I've learned all our course books by heart. I just hope it will be enough. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" Well, she certainly had a lot to say.

"I'm Ron Weasley," the red headed boy said grumpily. Ah! That was why he looked so familiar. Cleo thought she knew him when she had first seen him. Now it all made sense. Arthur Weasley was her mother's boss. They both worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. She must've seen him at work parties and things.

"Harry Potter," the other boy said. Of course, Cleo's eyes widened at that. Why wouldn't they? Harry Potter was one of the most famous wizards of the day. He defeated Voldemort as a baby and had survived the Killing Curse, the only person to ever survive it. She tried not to stare, however, because she was aware of how uncomfortable fame could be. Of course, she wasn't nearly as famous as Harry Potter, but more than a few people on the train had asked her about her name when she introduced herself.

"Are you really?" asked Hermione, easily just as curious as Cleo was. "I know all about you, of course. You're in _Modern Magical History _and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

"Am I?" Harry replied, looking both curious and dazed.

Hermione nodded. "You didn't know? I would've found out all I could, if it was me. Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, though. Anyways, I'd better go help Neville find his toad. You'd better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon." With that, she stood up promptly and took Neville with her, leaving the compartment.

Cleo, however, did not follow after them right away. She lingered behind because she wanted to ease the upset look on Ron's face. She understood that Hermione could be quite pushy and bossy, and Ron didn't seem to be the type to handle that very well. They watched her, wondering if she was going to leave, but she focused her gaze on Ron Weasley. "You're Arthur Weasley's kid, aren't you?" she asked him. He nodded, seeming a little surprised by this turn in the conversation. "My mum works in the ministry with your dad. She says that he's the best boss she's ever had. I don't know if you remember me, I'm Cleo Scamander. We've met at a couple of ministry work parties."

Ron thought about it for a minute before he snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah. Cleo. You're starting your first year too, aren't you?"

The eleven year old nodded. "Yep." She quickly glanced back down the hall to see that Hermione and Neville had disappeared. "Well, I'd better go change into my robes. It was nice seeing you again, Ron. And it was nice to meet you, Harry."

"Yeah, you too," Harry said politely. She gave them one last nod before taking off down the hall to change into her robes.

* * *

It didn't take much longer for the train to arrive in the station. Cleo stepped out of the compartment, fully dressed in her black robes that she wore over her Muggle clothing. Most of her family wore Muggle clothing when they weren't going to work or somewhere fancier. They were just more convenient and comfortable.

Cleo walked off of the train with Neville, who looked a little upset. They still hadn't found Trevor the toad. Cleo tried to cheer him up but he remained miserable. So they walked silently across the platform to join the other first years. "Firs' years! Firs' years this way please!" Cleo looked up to see a ginormous man with a scraggly bush for hair. He held a lantern in one hand and was waving at the first years with the other. This must've been Hagrid. Her mother and grandfather had told her about him. He may have looked fierce but he was really a gentle giant. Loved animals, too, according to her grandpa Newt.

"Righ' you lot," he said once they had all gathered around him. "To the boats!" He lifted the lantern aloft, giving them something to follow. "You'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a mo." As they came around the bend, several first years gasped at the sight, including Cleo. Even though she had had it described to her on multiple occasions, it hadn't prepared her for the beauty of the castle. It was a huge castle that was illuminated both by candlelight and moonlight. There were several towers that stood high above the rest of the castle. It was a majestic and breathtaking sight. Cleo could hardly believe that she was going to live there for the next nine months.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid instructed them. Cleo ended up in a boat with Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, and one other girl who had olive colored skin and dark black hair. They sat back in the boat and it took off rowing by itself. Cleo kept her eyes on the castle the whole time, unable to tear her eyes away from it.

Not long after, the boats docked just in front of the castle door. The first years clambered out of the boats and gathered near the door, chattering amongst themselves happily. "Oi, you there! Is this yer toad?" Hagrid called out to Neville.

"Trevor!" Neville cried happily, taking his toad and keeping a tight hold on him. Cleo smiled, glad that Trevor had been found. Neville looked quite a bit more cheerful as well as Hagrid knocked on the big oak doors.

A witch with green robes and a stern look opened the door to greet them. "Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here," she said and the first years followed her into the majestic looking castle. They walked down a few corridors until they arrived at another set of large wooden doors. She turned to look at all of them. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she greeted them. "My name is Professor McGonagall. Now, the feast will begin momentarily, but first you must be Sorted into your Houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here, your House will be like your family. You may earn or lose points for your House for your triumphs or rule breaking. I certainly hope each of you will be a valuable asset to whichever House you are placed in. The Sorting will begin shortly." With that, she turned and left, leaving the first years alone.

Neville was trying desperately to fix his cloak, which was buttoned on the wrong side. Cleo took over, helping him to fasten it under his right ear. She gave him a reassuring grin. "Just relax," she said comfortingly. "Do you know what House you'll be in?" she asked, trying to distract him from being nervous.

Neville shrugged, looking saddened. "Not really. My gran really wants me to be in Gryffindor like my dad, but I bet I'll end up in Hufflepuff." He sounded gloomy about this last bit, as though being Sorted into Hufflepuff was such a terrible thing.

Cleo narrowed her eyes at him. "There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff," she said defensively. She was real sick and tired of everyone insulting Hufflepuffs just because they weren't like the other Houses. "My whole family has been in Hufflepuff. Well, except the ones who went to Ilvermorny. I'll probably be in Hufflepuff too." She lifted her chin proudly, knowing that she was a Hufflepuff through and through.

Or so she hoped.

It was then that Cleo heard several other students give gasps all around her. She turned and saw them pointing at the ceiling. Cleo looked in that direction to see the Hogwarts ghosts. Her mum had told her that there were lots of ghosts at Hogwarts and that most were friendly, except for Peeves. Which was whom they were discussing.

One girl screamed. This caught their attention. They looked down at the students, seeming a little surprised that they were there. "Hello," one greeted them. "What are you all doing there?"

"New students!" another ghost cried, grinning at them pleasantly. "About to be Sorted, I expect?" A couple students, including Cleo, nodded warily. "Hope to see you all in Hufflepuff! My old House, you know." Cleo then realized that this must've been the Fat Friar. Her mum said that he was one of the friendliest ghosts in the school and always willing to point new students in the right direction.

Soon after, Professor McGonagall came back to collect them. She gestured for them to follow her into the Great Hall, where Cleo's eyes were fixed on the ceiling. It looked like the sky outside, with shining stars and a couple clouds. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_," Hermione informer the first years near her. Yep, definitely a shoe-in for Ravenclaw, Cleo thought.

McGonagall led them to the front of the hall where an old and worn looking hat sat on a stool. Everyone watched the hat closely when it opened its mouth and started to sing:

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might be in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your first real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

Then the entire school burst into applause as the hat finished its song. Once it quieted down, McGonagall began to read off names from a long piece of parchment.

"Abbot, Hannah."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Bones, Susan."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry."

"RAVENCLAW!"

And the list went on and on. Cleo tuned out most of the names, unless she heard a familiar one. Hermione Granger was sorted into Gryffindor, which was a surprise for her. Cleo thought she would end up in Ravenclaw for sure. "Khan, Soraya." Cleo recognized the olive skinned girl from the boat. She sat on the stool for only a bit before it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Soraya smiled and walked off to join the loud table of Gryffindors. Neville was sorted into Gryffindor as well. Another surprise. Cleo thought he would end up in Hufflepuff. A bit of sadness filled her. She had hoped that she would have a friend in her House, but no matter. She was sure she would make new friends in Hufflepuff.

The next person Cleo recognized was the pale boy from the train. The rude one. "Malfoy, Draco." The hat barely touched his head when it screamed "SLYTHERIN!" Now she recognized him. His dad worked at the ministry too. Her mum didn't like him. Apparently he had been one of those families that claimed to be "bewitched" after Voldemort fell.

Then there was "Potter, Harry." He had seemed kind enough when she met him on the train. Maybe he would be in Hufflepuff with her. He sat on the stool for quite a bit longer until the hat finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Oh, well, Cleo thought. Looked like she was all on her own this time.

Cleo didn't pay much attention to the next few names until McGonagall was calling out, "Scamander, Cleopatra."

Cleo tried to calm the anxiety she felt as she approached the stool. It would be alright. Soon, the hat would clearly see that she belonged in Hufflepuff and she could sit down next to James, who was smiling expectantly. She lowered herself into the stool and McGonagall places the hat on her head and the brim of it fell over her eyes.

"_Hmmm," _a small voice said in her ear. "_Curious. How very curious. Well, I can rule Slytherin out right away. There is not much ambition in you, not much at all. And while you are clever enough, there is not a real thirst for knowledge, so that rules out Ravenclaw. That leaves Hufflepuff and Gryffindor." _Well, Cleo knew that much. She would never have been in Slytherin in any possible world. And she never thought she was particularly clever, so she had ruled out Ravenclaw a long time ago as well. But then, she had also eliminated Gryffindor as a possibility because she didn't consider herself to be very brave. "_Bravery isn't the only defining characteristic of a Gryffindor," _the hat told her. "_Gryffindors are also chivalrous and daring. Besides, you have plenty of bravery in you. You just haven't found it yet. Hmmm… You would do well in Hufflepuff, I can see that. You value kindness and loyalty. But it is not something that has come easily to you. You strive to be kind, but it is not a natural characteristic." _Cleo could hardly believe this was happening. The hat was actually considering sorting her into Gryffindor! "_I am more than considering it," _it informed her. "_In fact… yes. You have the potential to reach greatness; to find that bravery within you. Therefore, I must sort you into _GRYFFINDOR!"

Cheers erupted throughout the hall, particularly from the Gryffindor table. McGonagall took the hat off of her head and in her daze, Cleo almost forgot that she had to go sit with her new housemates. In a daze, Cleo walked over to the loud table and sat down between Harry Potter and a redheaded boy who must've been one of Ron Weasley's brothers. Across from her was Neville Longbottom, who was beaming at her, glad to have a friend in his House.

The rest of the Sorting passed by in a haze for Cleo. She caught sight of her cousin, James, who was looking at her in shock. No one in the family had expected this. No one. Cleo could only give him a helpless shrug. She was just as confused as he was.

Cleo just hoped that the hat knew what it was talking about.


End file.
